When the Cleveland Browns gave Myles Garrett a record-breaking $40 million per year contract extension, it was implied that the deal permanently altered the pass-rushing market moving forward. The effects of the deal might already be showing itself in the Pittsburgh Steelers' attempt to give T.J. Watt his own extension.

As Watt prepares to enter the final year of his current $112 million deal, the 30-year-old is eligible to sign an extension in the 2025 offseason. However, after watching Garrett ink a massive new contract, Watt could be seeking a higher payday, Steelers reporter Ray Fittipaldo speculates.

“I think T.J. Watt deserves to be paid more than Myles Garrett,” Fitipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan radio. “But the Steelers can't help that the Cleveland Browns overpaid for Myles Garrett… [The Browns] totally got the edge-rusher market out of whack, and the Steelers have to deal with the fallout. I suspect they'll find a way to keep T.J., but it's not ideal circumstances under which they have to negotiate this contract.”

Watt and Garrett both entered the league in 2017 and have spent their entire careers as AFC North rivals with the Steelers and Browns, respectively. Though Garrett was taken in the 2017 NFL Draft No. 1 overall, 29 picks before Watt, their career numbers are eerily similar.

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Whether or not the Steelers can come to terms with Watt, they will not be the only team affected by Garrett's new deal. Several other high-profile pass rushers are set to become free agents in 2026, including Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, Haason Reddick, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jaelan Phillips, and others. A high percentage of them will also receive lucrative new deals, whether it be through an extension or in free agency.

While Garrett's deal is the one in question, it was not the first of its kind in 2025. Weeks before the Browns splurged on their start pass-rusher, the Las Vegas Raiders inked Maxx Crosby to a $106.5 million deal, including $91.5 million guaranteed. At the time, it made Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, though that record would only last until Garrett broke it shortly after.

As edge-rushers quickly become lucrative investments, many teams do not have the resources to match the numbers stars like Garrett and Watt demand. However, as it currently stands, the Steelers project to have the fourth-most cap space in 2026, making it possible for Watt to get his wish granted.